According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 248,760 Americans held the job title "Chief Executive" in 2013. As leaders who are (at least theoretically) responsible for making some of the most crucial decisions involving a company and its workforce, Chief Executives have at times singular amounts of authority, privilege, and responsibility. They are compensated accordingly, usually with salaries clocking in at a minimum of six figures. In the U.S., for example, CEOs earn an annual median salary of $153,353, according to PayScale's Salary Survey, which includes 6,674 CEOs.

Of course, you could make your millions after earning your bachelor's degree in English or art history, but if high earning potential is your post-graduation goal, you'll want to target your educational plans accordingly. (Hint: think STEM.)

There is a lot to consider when choosing a profession. Stress is not the only factor that comes into play when making that decision. In fact, many of the most stressful jobs identified through a recent study from CareerCast are especially rewarding, stimulating, and important careers. But, they certainly are stressful.

If anything good came out of the Sony email hack, it's that Charlize Theron put Sony on blast for paying her $10 million less than her male co-star, Chris Hemsworth, for their upcoming film, The Huntsman. Let’s take a look at how Theron’s ballsy move (pun very much intended) is encouraging women to quit the coy act and fight for their right to earn equal pay in their careers.

Childcare is expensive, but so is opting out of your career to be a stay-at-home parent. If you want to leave the rat race, but keep investing in your professional development (and 401k), starting your own at-home business might be the answer. Becoming your own boss doesn't have to be scary -- actually, it can be enjoyable and empowering at the same time.

Why is it so scary to ask for what you deserve, especially when it involves a dollar amount? For one thing, we live in a society where talking about money is considered tacky, as is blowing your own horn. To get the salary that's appropriate for our experience, skills, and capabilities, you need to get comfortable doing both. PayScale's Salary Negotiation Guide helps you feel more secure asking for a raise or establishing your starting pay by breaking the process into three parts: research, strategy, and negotiating.

Out with the old, and in with the new! While some industries are thriving in 2015, and anticipating further growth, other professions are struggling to stay relevant. Growth in the tech industry, for example, has been easy to understand and anticipate. But, other industries are paying a price for the changes technology has brought.

First things first: most sociology majors won't earn as much money as STEM majors, post-graduation. But when you're choosing a major, it's important to follow your interests as well as considering money. The study of human behavior, how people interact within different structures, and how people relate to each other, is utterly fascinating to many people. If this rings true for you, than majoring in sociology could be a path to consider.

Many of the jobs workers are doing today didn't exist 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago. The world has been moving pretty fast, and our elders may struggle at times to keep up with all the innovation, technology, and novelty of today's work world. LinkedIn's recent survey found that one out of three parents has trouble understanding what their child does for a living, and half of them think they could be more supportive if they knew more. If your parents don't get what you do, here's how to explain it to them.

You may know Christina Hendricks best from her role as Joan Holloway in Mad Men. There, she drinks liquor for lunch, types up notes using -- what else? -- a typewriter, and keeps the younger ladies in the office in line. After all, it’s the 1960s -- what else is she to do?

It’s not everyday that a college president decides to take a $90,000 pay cut for the benefit of low-wage workers. Last week however, Raymond Burse, interim president of Kentucky State University, did just that. His decision sets a new precedent amongst presidents and CEOs to raise the bar on livable wages for employees.

More and more, people are migrating to cities. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, 70 percent of the world’s population will live in one by 2050. It’s a compelling reason cities for cities to concentrate on acquiring better mobile technology and optimized infrastructure. In short, cities need to get smarter.

Low-meaning jobs aren't necessarily low-satisfaction jobs. Sometimes, they even pay a good salary and/or have minimal stress. PayScale's latest data package The Most and Least Meaningful Jobs looks at all the things that can measure a "good" job -- however you define that term for your own life and career.

You don't need to get fulfillment from your job: sometimes, a decent salary is enough. But if you know you're a person who can't be happy unless their days are spent doing something meaningful, these occupations might be a place to start your hunt for your next career.

Some jobs don’t offer warm fuzzies, but they do give you a fat paycheck. If having that comfortable income is a priority for you, and you can find meaning in other aspects of your life, then here are some careers you might want to consider.

A recent report released by the Institute for Policy Studies finds that student debt and low-wage faculty labor are rising faster at state universities with the highest-paid presidents. Usually those three hotly debated issues: student debt, increased use of part-time faculty, and inflated executive pay are discussed as separate issues, but researchers wondered if the three were related. What they found shows that all three are connected in ways worthy of a Charles Dickens novel.

Want a job that makes the world a better place? Sometimes, that means sacrificing practical rewards (read: cash) for a sense of helping others -- but not always. As PayScale's newest data package shows, many careers offer a salary that allows you to feed your body as well as your spirit. Some will even make you rich.

Larry Page, CEO of Google, gets $1 for his annual salary. Ditto Edward Lampert, CEO of Sears, and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook. Of course, there's a lot more to total compensation than just salary -- especially for chief executives.

In a tight job market and uncertain economic times, new graduates are often grateful for any job, whether it's one they enjoy or not. In order to help grads find a career they'll love, folks at CareerBliss, a site focused on searches and reviews of companies known for employee satisfaction, created a list of the happiest jobs for the class of 2014.

Most workers understand that the guy (and sadly, it's still usually a guy) at the top of the corporate hierarchy is going to earn more than they do -- a lot more. After all, he's the one who has to pick up the pieces if the company falls apart. In some companies, however, the difference between the CEO's salary and workers' pay isn't quite as steep.